Building on a Legacy of Positive Tracheostomy Patient Care

Mindy Kupper

Shiley™ tracheostomy tubes have a 40-year history of facilitating positive patient outcomes through innovative designs that simplify patient care. We listened to your feedback and came up with an enhanced design for our new Shiley™ flexible adult tracheostomy tubes. The following blog post summarizes these enhancements compared to our traditional design.^†

Introducing Shiley^TM flexible adult tracheostomy tubes

1. A more comfortable tracheostomy tube

We compared the comfort level of both the traditional Shiley^TMtracheostomy tube product line and the newer Shiley^TM flexible adult tracheostomy tubes. In this section we’ll explore the flange and its material.

Key characteristics of our traditional tracheostomy tubes include:

A more rigid flange
An opaque colored flange
Firm, sturdy PVC material

Key characteristics of the newer Shiley™ flexible adult tracheostomy tubes include:

A soft, recessed flange, designed to reduce contact with the stoma site
Clear flange material, designed to make it easier to see the underlying skin
Softer material for the tube cannula, compared to previous Shiley™ tracheostomy tubes^†

Related: Want to learn more? Download the Feature and Specification Comparison Guide

2. Help wean patients from ventilators sooner

Design changes to the cuff and enhancements to Shiley^TMflexible adult tracheostomy tubes can help improve airflow and may reduce the work of breathing required to speak and wean from a tracheostomy tube.^1,2

A key characteristic of traditional tracheostomy tubes is a high-volume, low-pressure barrel-shaped cuff.

Key characteristics of the newer Shiley™ flexible adult tracheostomy tube include:

Low-profile Taperguard^TM cuff, which reduces fluid leakage by 96 percent at a lower cuff pressure versus the Shiley^TM DCT tracheostomy tube.³
Reduced insertion force by 39 percent compared to the Shiley^TM DCT tracheostomy tube cuff²
Exertion of 18.6 percent less lateral wall pressure on the trachea than the Shiley^TM DCT tube with a traditional barrel-shaped cuff⁴
Airflow around the outer cannula. When the cuff is deflated, airflow has increased by an average of 242 percent compared to the Shiley^TM DCT tracheostomy tube⁵
Improved airflow, which may reduce the work of breathing that’s required to speak and wean from a tracheostomy tube¹

Related: See how the Shiley^TM flexible tracheostomy tubes enhance patient care, comfort, and clinical convenience. Watch the video

3. An easy-to-use option

Changes to the sizing and connectors on the newer Shiley^TM flexible tracheostomy tube are simplified, it so it’s easier to use. And the expanded size offering provides clinicians with more options. For example, the 15-millimeter connector is integrated so that you can ventilate the patient with or without the inner cannula . The legacy product only permitted you to connect to a ventilator through the 15-millimeter connector when the inner cannula is in the tube.

Take a look at the key characteristics of each.

Traditional Shiley™ tracheostomy tube characteristics include:

Traditional Jackson sizing 4, 6, 8, 10
15-millimeter connector that is part of the disposable or reusable inner cannula

Newer Shiley^TM flexible tracheostomy tube characteristics include:

Expanded color coded Jackson sizing include 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Integrated 15-millimeter connector enables ventilation with or without an inner cannula

† Previous Shiley^TM tracheostomy tubes refers to Shiley™ DCT, DCFS, DCFN, DFEN, LPC, CFS, CFN, FEN and Perc tracheostomy tubes.

References:
1. Mullins JB, Templer JW, Kong J, Davis WE, Hinson J Jr. Airway resistance and work of breathing in tracheostomy tubes. Laryngoscope. 1993;103(12):1367–1372.
2. Maguire S, Haury F, Jew K. An invitro comparison of tracheostomy tube cuffs. Medical Devices (Auckland, N.Z.) New Zealand, 8, 185- 192. April 21, 2015.
3. Internal benchtop testing results Athlone 2013. Results reflect testing the Shiley™ Flexible adult tracheostomy tube with TaperGuard™ cuff, disposable inner cannula at 20 cm H20 versus the Shiley™ DCT tracheostomy tube with disposable Inner cannula at 25 cm H20.
4. Internal benchtop testing results. Results reflect the Shiley™ flexible adult tracheostomy tube with TaperGuard™ cuff, disposable inner cannula tubes ability to titrate / control ventilator air leak in comparison to the Shiley™ tracheostomy tube cuffed with disposable inner cannula (DCT). Benchtop test # 10122514.
5. Based on internal testing comparing the Shiley™ flexible adult tracheostomy tube with TaperGuard™ cuff to the Shiley™ DCT tracheostomy tube cuffed. Data on file. #10119661.

Topics: Shiley™ Tracheostomy